Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant (2) throws near quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the first day of practice at the Clemson Indoor Football facility at Clemson on Friday, August 3, 2018. Ken Ruinard/ Staff

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and quarterback Kelly Bryant (2) during the first day of practice at the Clemson Indoor Football facility at Clemson on Friday, August 3, 2018. Ken Ruinard/ Staff

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) signs autographs for children near Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, middle, after the spring game in Memorial Stadium in Clemson on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Ken Ruinard/staff

Trevor Lawrence, a Clemson football committee since 2016, arrives for the game with Florida State, before kickoff in Memorial Stadium at Clemson on Saturday, November 11, 2017. Ken Ruinard/Independent Mail

CLEMSON – Trevor Lawrence is a game manager. That term is used too often as a pejorative for a quarterback who executes but does not excite.

As a passer, Lawrence is a vibrant star. He performs with flair and delivers dazzling downfield passes. He fills stat sheets and stadiums.

But in Clemson’s elaborate running scheme, Lawrence is an efficient game manager. And that is all Clemson coaches ask him to be.

Clemson utilizes the run-pass-option, or RPO, which, as its name indicates, provides alternatives depending on what the defense's movements. Each play usually starts with a quarterback-running back exchange. Based on the defenders immediate reaction after the snap, a quarterback can select one of three options:

Lawrence’s calm command of the offense helps him process plays quickly and confidently decide to give, pull or throw.

Observers cannot tell how often Clemson coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott call RPOs, because with an efficient game manager like Lawrence, gives look like direct power run calls, pulls look like normal QB keepers and throws look like conventional play-action passes.

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The unspoken communication between Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne is critical to the run-pass option.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

According to Elliott, Lawrence has advanced rapidly in his mastery of run game management, and he exhibited that maturation in the season opener against Georgia Tech. Lawrence logged three carries for 24 yards and a touchdown.

“His decision making's been really good,” Elliott said. “What I saw from (the coaches booth) was that he was a lot more confident when he pulled the football. He was putting his foot in the ground and going north and south.

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“Sometimes before, he kind of got off balance and maybe took a shot. Now, he trusts his speed, and he knows how to protect himself and get down if he needs to.”

The option can expose quarterbacks to free hits. Reading the defense incorrectly is as hazardous as a blindside blitz. But deciphering defenses is not as easy as Lawrence makes it appear.

Tajh Boyd commanded Clemson’s option attack from 2011 to 2013. He said, in just the six years since his last snap at Clemson, the RPO scheme has evolved.

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Tajh Boyd commanded the Clemson offense as the starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013.(Photo: BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff)

“When I was here, we only really worked front side,” Boyd said. “Now, they've got combinations where you can work backs out on the route. They've advanced it. Where it's headed, you can run a full game plan off of it if you wanted to.”

According to Boyd, the first read on the basic RPO is usually the defensive end. If he holds his stance on the edge, the quarterback should give the ball to the running back. If the end crashes hard toward the running back, the quarterback should pull the ball.

The read on the pass option hinges on the point of attack. In the flats, the quarterback must read the cornerback.

“If that corner's off and he's bailing a little bit, you pop that thing out there and let your receiver do what he needs to do,” Boyd said with a grin.

If the pass is across the middle, the quarterback must scan the linebackers or any dropping linemen.

“We read D-end to linebacker, and you might have a slant combination or something behind it," Boyd said. "You can pull it, and if that linebacker scrapes outside, it gives you a window to sit in that pocket and rip it.

“Then, you can get a little bit deeper, work toward the third level and create those one-on-one matches outside. That's what you want. That's what Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott are looking for, because they've got receivers who can go up and get it."

No defense can cover everything. There is always an opening. The RPO helps offenses find that opening. It operates by the mantra of the game manager— simply take what the defense gives you.

Clemson has playmakers who can take a little bit more. Lawrence's objective is to distribute the ball to those playmakers when they are open.

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Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs for a first down against Georgia Tech during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson Thursday, August 29, 2019.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

It is not a pejorative. It is a compliment. Game managers make the right reads, the right decisions, the right moves. They may not always be flashy, but they facilitates winning. And nothing is more glamorous than wins.